Spotlighting Pan-African Poetry

Biography

Some days & The inevitable

Enlarge poem

SOME DAYS

Some days walk in smiling

Other days never come alight
The pain remains stuck in my throat
Screams brew in my stomach
Sadness suffocates me
Grief stains my pillow
Leaving scars across my face

On these days I close my eyes
And search for you
Memory scatters
Flies away with your smile
You are lost

How do I get back red once mixed to make purple?
How do I return each raindrop back to be part of the clouds?
How do I squeeze each petal back into the bud?

But then some days walk in smiling

THE INEVITABLE

They marched to the inevitable
Maintaining a gingerly pace
On a road they too would soon face

He had on his favourite suit
And my name stained on his tongue
The last word he uttered

Dust rose to this occasion

The surrounding ground
nursed by tears
And decomposing flesh
Welcomed him

And as they slowly covered him
And their songs tucked him to respite
All life seeped out of me
Dripping to the ground where he lay

And time did that trick that I hate
Where it goes by
peeling me naked

Explore Poets by:

Main Navigation:

Linda Kaoma

Featured Poem:

Surrender

Enlarge poem

Surrender
To this surge of coldness
When the warmth
Rests behind the earth’s ears
Put down your arms
Let your limbs hang
Into a puddle on the ground
Surrender

Surrender
Bury yourself deep
In the dark
That you fall into
When you have hit the rock
Of emotions
Your roots seek
But you fear
Give into
The gravity of the unlit
Till the light knows
You are home
And starts flickering
Back on
Surrender

Surrender
Let the storm of dying leaves
Catch up with you
And as they go to respite
Allow them to take you
Go home
Wither and die
Return to the stillness
Of the soil
Of the peace
In between the notes
The flowers sing
As they bloom
Surrender

Surrender
Un-laden yourself
Of reactivity
Evaporate
And join the clouds
In their rest
Above the sky
And when respite
Has harvested
Your lassitude
Fall down
To this outside dance
Of that old tale
Where
You sit at the stoop
And wait for
Perfect moments
Surrender

Surrender
To this perceived
Fire of suffering
Let it take you home
Back to the stillness
of the soil
to the light
of the darkness.
Surrender

All work on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 South Africa License.

linda kaoma

Surrender by Linda Kaoma

Download the audio file

How does this featured poem make you feel?

  • Amazement (0)
  • Pride (0)
  • Optimism (0)
  • Anger (0)
  • Delight (0)
  • Inspiration (1)
  • Reflection (3)
  • Captivation (1)
  • Peace (2)
  • Amusement (0)
  • Sorrow (2)
  • Vigour (1)
  • Hope (0)
  • Sadness (1)
  • Fear (1)
  • Jubilation (0)

Comments

  1. I heard Linda recite this poem at the Franschhoek Literary Festival and I was totally captivated. It is a beautiful poem and resonated hugely with me. I found it hard to contain my emotions, which is often what I love about poetry. I would love a copy of the other poem that Linda read at the festival : “If only” and I would like to thank Linda for her beautiful poetry.

    Trish van Der Nest

Your email address will not be published.

South Africa

Biography

Linda Kaoma is a writer, poet and a B.Com graduate from the University of Cape Town. She has been with the Art Africa Centre for four years and project manager for Badilisha Poetry X-change for three years.

In 2013 she performed in Amsterdam at the Afro Vibes Festival alongside Dutch poet Babs Gons in a poetic production entitled “Becoming Another, Becoming you”.

She is also the founder and editor of Unbranded Truth Online Magazine (www.unbrandedtruth.com), an online magazine that serves as a catalyst for self-acceptance and self-evolution.

She has contributed to various publications and continues to freelance.

Linda Kaoma

linda kaoma
linda kaoma

South Africa

Biography

Linda Kaoma is a writer, poet and a B.Com graduate from the University of Cape Town. She has been with the Art Africa Centre for four years and project manager for Badilisha Poetry X-change for three years.

In 2013 she performed in Amsterdam at the Afro Vibes Festival alongside Dutch poet Babs Gons in a poetic production entitled “Becoming Another, Becoming you”.

She is also the founder and editor of Unbranded Truth Online Magazine (www.unbrandedtruth.com), an online magazine that serves as a catalyst for self-acceptance and self-evolution.

She has contributed to various publications and continues to freelance.

Some days & The inevitable

Enlarge poem

SOME DAYS

Some days walk in smiling

Other days never come alight
The pain remains stuck in my throat
Screams brew in my stomach
Sadness suffocates me
Grief stains my pillow
Leaving scars across my face

On these days I close my eyes
And search for you
Memory scatters
Flies away with your smile
You are lost

How do I get back red once mixed to make purple?
How do I return each raindrop back to be part of the clouds?
How do I squeeze each petal back into the bud?

But then some days walk in smiling

THE INEVITABLE

They marched to the inevitable
Maintaining a gingerly pace
On a road they too would soon face

He had on his favourite suit
And my name stained on his tongue
The last word he uttered

Dust rose to this occasion

The surrounding ground
nursed by tears
And decomposing flesh
Welcomed him

And as they slowly covered him
And their songs tucked him to respite
All life seeped out of me
Dripping to the ground where he lay

And time did that trick that I hate
Where it goes by
peeling me naked

Featured Poem:

Surrender

Enlarge poem

Surrender
To this surge of coldness
When the warmth
Rests behind the earth’s ears
Put down your arms
Let your limbs hang
Into a puddle on the ground
Surrender

Surrender
Bury yourself deep
In the dark
That you fall into
When you have hit the rock
Of emotions
Your roots seek
But you fear
Give into
The gravity of the unlit
Till the light knows
You are home
And starts flickering
Back on
Surrender

Surrender
Let the storm of dying leaves
Catch up with you
And as they go to respite
Allow them to take you
Go home
Wither and die
Return to the stillness
Of the soil
Of the peace
In between the notes
The flowers sing
As they bloom
Surrender

Surrender
Un-laden yourself
Of reactivity
Evaporate
And join the clouds
In their rest
Above the sky
And when respite
Has harvested
Your lassitude
Fall down
To this outside dance
Of that old tale
Where
You sit at the stoop
And wait for
Perfect moments
Surrender

Surrender
To this perceived
Fire of suffering
Let it take you home
Back to the stillness
of the soil
to the light
of the darkness.
Surrender

Surrender by Linda Kaoma

Download the audio file

How does this featured poem make you feel?

  • Amazement (0)
  • Pride (0)
  • Optimism (0)
  • Anger (0)
  • Delight (0)
  • Inspiration (1)
  • Reflection (3)
  • Captivation (1)
  • Peace (2)
  • Amusement (0)
  • Sorrow (2)
  • Vigour (1)
  • Hope (0)
  • Sadness (1)
  • Fear (1)
  • Jubilation (0)

Some days & The inevitable

Enlarge poem

SOME DAYS

Some days walk in smiling

Other days never come alight
The pain remains stuck in my throat
Screams brew in my stomach
Sadness suffocates me
Grief stains my pillow
Leaving scars across my face

On these days I close my eyes
And search for you
Memory scatters
Flies away with your smile
You are lost

How do I get back red once mixed to make purple?
How do I return each raindrop back to be part of the clouds?
How do I squeeze each petal back into the bud?

But then some days walk in smiling

THE INEVITABLE

They marched to the inevitable
Maintaining a gingerly pace
On a road they too would soon face

He had on his favourite suit
And my name stained on his tongue
The last word he uttered

Dust rose to this occasion

The surrounding ground
nursed by tears
And decomposing flesh
Welcomed him

And as they slowly covered him
And their songs tucked him to respite
All life seeped out of me
Dripping to the ground where he lay

And time did that trick that I hate
Where it goes by
peeling me naked

Comments

  1. I heard Linda recite this poem at the Franschhoek Literary Festival and I was totally captivated. It is a beautiful poem and resonated hugely with me. I found it hard to contain my emotions, which is often what I love about poetry. I would love a copy of the other poem that Linda read at the festival : “If only” and I would like to thank Linda for her beautiful poetry.

    Trish van Der Nest

Your email address will not be published.